Flame spreader



Nov. 26, 1929.

c. w. DAVIS FLAME SPREADER Original Filed July 25, 1 927 IN VEN TOR 65%;! Z Dal/12s,

ATTORNEY.

CORTLAND W. DAVIS, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MAN'ILE LAMP COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS FLAME SPREADER Original application filed July 25, 1927, Seria1 No. aoaae. Divided and. this application filed. October '18,

1928. a Serial This application is a division of the-application of Cortland WV. Davis, #208,286, for

a Blue flame mantle lamp, filed July 25, 1927,

in which are revealed several improvements all of which co-operate to control the functioning of the burner with which a' lamp of that type is provided, whereby it is possible to reduce the creeping or working-up tend ency of the flame, to obtain full light from the lamp in a short periodof time, and to render the operation of the lamp stable and reliable.

Among these several features of construction are a 'new chimney and its retaining means, a new flame spreader, a new burner cone construction, a new flame-protecting baffle, a new mantle head and a new Inantle'supporting means. The disclosure and the claims ofthis application relate to the new I flame spreader.

This spreader is of the type having perforated cylindrical and frusto-conical sections, and is distinguished by the absence of the air obstructing and relatively wide web of metal heretofore present at the junction of these two perforated sections. By the elimination of said web of metal the spreader distributes air currents uniformly throughout its entire v perforated areas, and also removes an airobstructing factor from the most advantageous point for air delivery.

The invention will be best understood if this specification be read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a burner containing the improved spreader;

Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the flame spreader shown in Figure 1, and

Figure 4 shows a step in the process of man ufacturing the completed spreader shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The flame spreader 29 (Figures 1,2, 3) which is supported in the upper end of the inner wick tube 1, has a cylindrical body 50,

are provided with minute perforations 52 through which air flowing upward from the central air passage of the lamp bowl andand a frustro-conical wall 51, both of which spreader are, first, continuity of the perforated areas of the cylindrical body and the frustro-conical wall 51, which are not, as in other flame spreaders, scparated by a narrow heat-absorbing and air-obstructing bridge of metal; and, second, a depressed'central portion 53 of frustro conica'l form which, being somewhat. removed from the high-temperature combustion zone, is kept relatively cool. so that it will conduct little heat to the inner w wick tube. Said central portion 53 operates to uniformly deflect the rising air currents towards all the aforesaid perforations of the spreader, thus facilitating flow of said currents through said perforations and into the flame; and this depressed central portion has a perforation 54: of suitable size, the object thereof being to prevent induced low-pres sure conditions within it'and the consequent drawing of the flame against the spreader. 7 The employment of a flame spreader of this design, tends to prevent overheating of the inner wick tube, maximizes tlie'quantity of air supplied to the interior of the flame and renders uniform the distribution of air emanating from both the cylindrical and the frustroconical area of the spreader.

The process of making the new flame spreader consists infirst producing a cylinder (Figure 4) having an imperforate lower portion 55, a perforated upper portion 56 in which the number and size of the holes are the same as those of the completed spreader 29, and a flat and imperforate top wall 57 The upper extremity 58 of the cylinder is also imperforate.

The cylinder, thus produced, is subjected to the action of dies whereby the top wall 57 is drawn and depressed, and so much of the cylinder as includes said upper extremity 58 and the uppermost row 59 of the perforate por-. tion 56, is shaped to assume the form shown in Figures 2, 3. The perforation 54 is then made.

Having thus describedn iy invention what I claim is 1. flame spreader for a burner of the blue-flame wick type having a perforated frustro-conical portion, a cylindrical wall 100 blank having having perforations adjacent said frustroconical portion, and a depressed top.

2. A flame spreader for a burner of the blue-flame wick type having frustro-conical portion, a cylindrical wall having perforations adjacent said frustro-conical portion,

and a depressed top provided with a pressureequalizing hole.

3. A flame spreader for a burner of the blue-flame wick type having a cylindrical wall provided at its upper end with perforations, and having also a perforated frustroconical portion adjoining the top of said cylindrical wall, the perforations in said cylindrical wall and the perforations in said frustro-conical portion constituting a continuous series of air-emitting openings, all of which openings are substantially equidistant from each other.

4, The process of producing a flame spreader having a cylindrical wall, a frustro-conical portion adjacent the top of said Wall, and a depressed top which consists in producing a a cylindrical wall and a flat top, and sub ecting said blank to a drawing operation whereby the upper portion of said cylindrical Wall is shaped to frustro-conical form and the central portion of said top wall is at the same time drawn to form said depressed portion.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CORTLAND W. DAVIS. 

